Floating dock systems such as are in general use at present are generally comprised of two or more individual, self-buoyant, dock sections which are hinged to one another to permit relative vertical pivotal movement therebetween as dictated by the momentary surface wave conditions of the body of water on which the dock is floating. The individual dock sections are provided with suitable air-tight float drums, generally of blow molded polyethylene form, which are secured to the underside of the dock sections to float them atop the surface of the water.
Heretofore, the hinged interconnection of the dock sections of such floating docks to one another has generally been accomplished by simply threading a suitable diameter metal pipe or rod either through a series of sturdy eyebolts secured in aligned relation in the adjoining opposed vertical faces of the dock sections or through aligned bearing openings in pairs of metal bearing plates secured to the vertical sides of the respective adjoining dock sections and projecting outwardly therefrom. In either case, a sizeable gap opening is left between the adjoining dock sections extending across the full width of the deck planking on the dock sections. These gap openings between the dock sections then constitute a danger to persons walking on the decks thereof, especially to barefooted bathers or boaters for instance, in that their feet or toes may be caught and pinched between the pivoting dock sections such as to cause serious injury thereto including broken bones.
Moreover, such prior type hinged connections for floating docks, besides being unsafe and apt to cause the aforementioned physical injury to persons using these docks, have been of rather crude and unsightly appearing form such as to detract from an otherwise attractive appearing floating dock construction.